


Timing

by CreativeDrinks



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Canon Divergence - Not What He Seems, Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-13 02:05:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15353820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CreativeDrinks/pseuds/CreativeDrinks
Summary: To finally activate the portal after 30 years was truly his greatest accomplishment. He could finally welcome his brother back after so long. However, in the grand scheme of 30 years, a few moments later could make all the difference.





	Timing

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea I had after reading the journal, and I'm not sure why I took so long to get it out onto paper. They mentioned in the journal that the portal turned on right before Ford was able to destroy Bill, so what if Stan had operated it a few moments later? And Ford was able to accomplish his plans, which unfortunately leads to negative outcomes.

Stan could only make out so much from his hazy vision after falling from mid-air, but he could see the entire basement was a wreck. As his eyes focused on the basement in front of him, he saw pieces of wood from the ceiling fall onto the ground in the path of the portal. He put his hand to his head to try and stop a pounding headache he had felt while the lack of gravity suspended him in the air.

His heart was pounding against his chest as he glanced up at the blue glow of the portal. It was actually working, after 30 years, his greatest accomplishment! It was _working_...

Wasn’t it? He got up, still staring, waiting for something to happen. Stan steadied himself on his feet before dusting himself off. He heard the groaning from behind him as he sharply turned around to witness Dipper, Mabel, and Soos on the floor, slowly getting up and glancing at each other. There stood Mabel looking into his eyes as she held her hands together. Stan gave a small smile of reassurance, but she still held her glance of worry, hesitancy seeping into her eyes as she turned away and helped her brother. Stan turned away with regret, afraid of the looks of anger and distrust he was going to receive from people he held so dear. He knew he would have to thank Mabel, no amount of gratitude could suffice for his gratitude towards her decision, but all in due time. After he came back…

He turned to the portal again. Nothing, nobody, was coming out. He felt the fear he’d suppressed for years pooling into his thoughts, plaguing his mind as he could only stand and stare. 

He wasn’t stupid. He knew the dangers of keeping the portal on for this long. It had been only more than a minute, but it should have been long enough. The longer the machinery stayed on, the more disastrous the consequences would be. Stan didn’t know what the dangers Ford panicked about in his journal were, but he feared he wouldn’t have to find out. Time seemed to stay frozen as nobody moved, as the rustling he had heard from the kids and Soos quieted down and was replaced with silence. The only sound emitting in the room was the hum the portal gave off as it stayed on. The silence was eerie, paranoia began to grip at Stan as each passing second went by 

“Grunkle Stan, w-what’s going on….?” Mabel quietly spoke from behind him. He walked forward slowly. His hands and legs shaking as the worst thought came to him. 

_He’s dead. You failed you failed you failed._

Hard, ragged breaths came out as he begged for any indication that his brother was alive from the portal. The worst possibility he feared began to gnaw at him. He had always known, from the moment his brother had fallen in on that day 30 years ago, that the possibility of him never coming back could be real. Stan always pushed it away, kept himself going every night, so one day he could welcome him back with open arms. 

Oh god no, that’s not what had happened. His brother had not just left him here, he wouldn’t do that, would he…? He would be back for him, they would eventually be brothers again one day. The heavy blue glow began to fade, snapping Stan out of his haze as he ran, running towards the swirling blue mess of lights and mystery that he hated with a fucking passion. It was the whole reason he lost his brother, it took him away when he had only gotten him back.

Stan would have ran into the portal if he could’ve, but a pair of large arms lifted him with ease off the ground. He felt the air leave him as he thrashed, trying to escape the grip, so he could do something, _(do something, DO SOMETHING STANLEY!)_

“SOOS, LET GO OF ME!” He shouted, tears prickling in the corner of his eyes, surprised by the strength he had never seen the man show before. 

Soos’s grip faltered slightly as he heard the anger in Stan’s voice, a tone he had not heard from his boss before. Stan quickly shoved Soos aside and stepped onto the ground. He felt his hands shaking, his whole body trembling. There eventually seemed to be breaking point after the exhausting events of the day and his legs collapsed beneath him and he fell onto his knees. 

Tears were now fully streaming down Stan’s face. He truly was the screw up that people had called him all those years. He sent his brother into hell and let him die. Heavy sobs wracked his body as he let himself break down, oblivious to the kids and Soos. 

“He’s not coming.. He’s gone. He’s gone AND IT’S MY FAULT!” 

The portal began to flicker, it wasn’t meant to last this long, it was only a miracle it remained on for minutes. But what was the point, Stanford wasn’t coming out… 

He saw two small black shoes standing in front of him as he raised his head to meet his eyes with his niece’s tear-filled ones. Before he could say anything, Mabel hugged him, letting him cry into her shoulder. Stan could only sit there, in disgust with the universe, and himself. He shut his eyes and the feeling sunk into him. Stan made a risk, and he lost everything in the process. Trust, hope, faith, family, all ripped from the seams, and never to return. The portal only sat there, mocking him for his mistakes, all that he had lost. 

“Stan, there’s something happening...” He heard Dipper say.

He heard the break in the boy’s voice as he knew Dipper was trying to keep it together. Stan opened his eyes and lightly grasped Mabel’s hand, slowly moving them away from his tear-stained face. Suddenly, his heart spiked and he let out a choking noise of surprise, scrambling onto his feet as Mabel backed away in surprise. A faint black silhouette could be seen from the portal, which was heavily flickering. He would have ran and grabbed it but his legs stayed frozen in fear. 

_Don’t fool yourself, Stan._

A figure dressed in a black coat, face concealed by a large black scarf, stepped out slowly. The man stood inches from Stan, staring right into his eyes before slowly removing the scarf and goggles. Stan put a hand to his head as he laughed, tears streaming down his face. 

“I-I can’t _believe_ it! You’re actually a-alive!” Stan choked out. 

Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around his brother, who remained unresponsive. It had been an eternity since he had last hugged his brother, more than 40 years. Hugging had never been a big part of their lives and they had seldom embraced their late teen years. But Stan could not count the sheer amount of times he wished he could have held his brother and helped him all those years ago, instead of arguing. 

“Stanley….” His brother said. 

The once confident voice now sounded hazy and weak, as Stan glanced down and noticed his brother’s legs shaking beneath him. He slowly pulled away from the one-sided embrace and noticed Ford’s eyes were unfocused, staring off into space. It was only then that Stan noticed something wet on his hands. He felt a lump in his throat as he let go of Ford. His eyes widened as a feeling of nausea began to form in his gut. His hands returned back into his view, only to be streaked with crimson blood. His heart dropped as he took in that there was so much blood on his hands. The only sound he could emit was a gasp of disbelief as he glanced up at his brother again. 

“S-Stanford?” Stan choked out, right before Ford collapsed onto Stan’s arms.

Stan shakily laid his brother on the ground and crouched down beside him. He grasped Ford’s shoulders, trying to steady himself and to fathom what had happened. Ford was so _pale_. It wasn’t until Stan’s eyed traveled down where he noticed the pool of blood coming from Ford. Fear overtook him as a scream ripped from his throat.

“ _STANFORD!_ ” 

Stan held his brother in his arms as tears formed once again. The feeling sunk into him, it was over, he was not going to be able to bring Stanford back this time, He hugged his brother and sobbed weakly, cradling his limp body in his arms as blood coated his hands and streaked down his suit. Time was not on his side now. There was so much blood, everywhere. He knew Ford would never make it. The government still at his doorstep would be impossible to get through. He had been so close. It was only a matter of mere moments and his brother could have been alive. Stanley mourned the loss of his brother, his best friend, his other half. 

Stanley Pines had lived the majority of his life without a twin, what was so different now?


End file.
